Boost Renewable Energy For Good Of Nation

April 11, 1993|The Morning Call

To the Editor:

I would like to express my concern for President Clinton's proposed energy tax increase. This BTU tax, if implemented, will be non-discriminatory, taxing both renewable and non-renewable sources of energy. An increased tax on non-renewable energy, i.e., fossil fuels, would serve as an incentive to conserve energy. The result would be the efficient use of scarce resources and the reduction of pollution. On the other hand, an increased BTU tax on renewable energy sources such as solar power, wind power, biomass conversion, and small scale hydroelectric power would be detrimental to our country's health. Instead we need our government to subsidize these resources so they can be made more accessible.

Sustainable technologies exist and it is only a matter of promoting them. People need incentives to use the earth's income. We also need to efficiently weatherize our houses, and use water conserving faucets and showerheads, as well as efficient motors. This would allow renewables to replace non-renewables in the long run. The incentive for these improvements would be the amount of money saved on utility bills and the reduction of pollution.